The Strength Within
by FindSarah
Summary: Prompt: Hook explains to Emma, as he is dying from something Cora did to him, why he fell in love with her. There are two one-shots: one based in FTL and the other in Storybrooke
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well, I got this prompt some time this morning, and well, I went to school and started to write it but I forgot one important detail…the cell! So, you guys get two one shots for the price of one! Yay!**

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**PROMPT: A short but amazing one-shot of how Hook fell in love with Emma. From where it started till the very end where he's lying in a cell with her, his head in her lap, telling her just exactly why he fell in love with her in the first place. He's dying from something Cora did. AND SO! he just tells the story of how he fell in love, and end it with a wonderful HOPE that leaves everything up to the imagination of the reader !**

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"God damn!" Emma curses as she bangs against her jail cell that kept her from getting back to Henry. Rumpel had ruined the portal. He and Regina had made it impossible for them to get through the portal without dying. They had been winning too, Hook, last minute joined their side to defeat Cora. But it had been all for nothing. She would never see Henry's face again. "I just got him back…" Emma cries as she holds onto the bars of the cell.

"You think this is it, lass?" A voice that she immediately recognizes: Killian. "Killia—Hook?" Emma turns around and looks into the darkest parts of her cell. She hears him echo out a laugh, "Back to Hook now, love?" He seems lighthearted; "You didn't feel that way when we almost defeated Cora."

"Where are you, Hook." Emma demands as her eyes searches for him.

"I'm right here…" He grunts. Emma hears him shift in the shadows and spots his form laying in the darkest part of the prison. "Why are you hiding, Hook?" Emma says as she walks to his form, "Let me see you." She asks.

"Love, I am going to need some help moving." Killian says bitterly, his pride wounded.

"What do you mean?" Emma asks as she walks over to his side, "What is going on?" She places her arms under his and pulls him into the small bit of sunlight that is in the cell. "Oh…my…god…" Emma stares down at the deadly look man who did not meet her gaze. "Hook…what happened."

"Call me, Killian, love. We are partners." He says in a seductive sarcasm. Emma gives him a look, but does not object. In his pitiful state, she has no clue what to do. "Yeah, sure" Emma replies quietly gazing down at his injuries; his body has a thin layer of perspiration and is too cold to the touch. He is unnaturally ghostly pale with black marks are in the place veins are. "Killian…" She whispers, "Look at me."

Reluctantly, Killian slow opens his eyes. "Oh dear god…" Emma whispers as she stares at his eyes that look like there are tempest veils are in his eyes. Sinister grey swirls around his pupil: he resembles a blind man. "C-can you see?" Emma stutters out.

"No, love I can't." He says bitterly and reaches to touch her face, to feel the softness of her cheeks and lips, the flutter of her eyelashes, the warmth she gives off. "What happened, please tell me." Emma begs as she pulls him into her lap, wiping the droplets of sweat off his forehead. He sighs, his glossy eyes looking at her, yet not, "It is a curse, lass." Even though, Killian cannot see her, being able to touch her face is enough for him. Within his own mind, he can envision her from his memories. "It is a blood curse, similar to poison, love."

Emma placed her hand over Killian's helping him trace her face, "You are dying, aren't you?" She examines, trying to hold back the tears.

"Emma, love don't cry…" Killian answers softly as he lightly strokes his fingers over her cheek. "I'm not…" Her throat cracks, "…yet"

"Ah, love…" Killian takes her hands into his solitary hand and pecks it, "There is no need to be sorrowful."

"You are dying"

Killian gives a throaty faint laugh, "Oh Emma." He runs his fingers through her glistening, golden locks, "You are bloody marvelous." Even visionless, he still sees the way she looks, from the day she held the dagger to his throat, he never once forgot her, "So compassionate, stubborn, bloody brilliant. My stunning swan." He feels warm teardrops gliding down her face, "Emma, pet, I said not to weep."

Emma does not reply; however, simply wails into his hand.

"Emma, Emma, Emma…" He smiles, "I love you—but," he hesitates and wipes her tears away, "You already knew that, didn't you, lass? You saw right through me even from the start."

"Hoo-"

"Killian." He interrupts her harshly, his eyes narrowing, "Emma, call me Killian."

"I'm so sorry…" Emma whispers, softly, "But I don—"

"Oh, Emma," He cuts her off once more, "Don't lie to me. You are an open book." He taps her on her temple, "I can see—saw, how you feel in your eyes. I have heard it in your voice since the climb from the beanstalk." He grazes his thumb over her lips, "I know you have been alone…and I only wish that I had been able to show you the man I truly am. I am not just a spiteful pirate. I am too a man…and you, love were the first woman to ever best me."

"Gods, woman, even when you left me at the top of the beanstalk, I couldn't get my mind off of you, lass. So determined. I knew, even how angry I had been, I knew you were doing it for you boy. I knew I had no room to compete with that rascal. And when you knew something had been wrong with Aurora, I knew you would not believe what Cora said. You are bloody brilliant, love. I knew then, the protection you had, the intelligence, your bloody determination, I knew. Gods, I knew I loved you."

"Oh, Killian…" Emma feels strangely warm and happy on the inside, but as the deadly curse attacks his body she becomes more and more scared…scared at the thought of losing the man who just spilled his heart out to her. The man who had been in the worst shape when she had first met him (excluding the curse) had been confessing his love to her. "I don't blame you. I knew you had a goal, and so did I. I just couldn't let anyone get in the way of going home. I…couldn't have a distraction."

"I know, love." He sighs, "I know. He is apart of your life, and a big one at that. You don't have to admit it to me, love. I know you love me. In your world, you claim true love doesn't exist, but here, love, it is truly real. You know when it happens." He smiles as he continues to traces her face, trying to install it into his memory.

"Killian…" Emma leans down and kisses his forehead, "I wish this had been different."

"Aye, me too, love."

Swoosh.

"Well, not to break up this pity party, but I think it is time, you both leave this prison." A figure had jumped out from a whirling smoke of purple and black.

"Haha!" Killian laughs, "Jefferson? Is that you, old friend? Get over here, lad!" Killian turns his head to where he thought Jefferson is located.

"No offense, Hook." Jefferson responds taunting, "I'd rather I get us all back to Storybrooke in one piece, before Cora storms down here."

"Ah, too bad, Jefferson…" Killian mumbles, "This isn't any hope for me. Emma, love go with him." Killian drops his hand to his lap, "Go, love."

"I won't leave you…" She whispers. Turning to the Mad Hatter, "Jefferson, how did you get here? I thought your hat only had the ability to jump through magical realms…that is what Rumpel told me." Her gloomy grayish eyes bore into his deep, Cimmerian chocolate ones. "He is right…" Jefferson says unconcernedly, "Only he brought magic into that realm, so wah-la, I am here."

"What about Snow? And Aurora? And Mulan?" Emma demands. "All safe back in Storybrooke, now all I need is you—rather both of you two if I must insist."

Emma nods, "Help me carry him, please."

"Emma, love, leave me here. I am dead, at this point."

"But you aren't dead, not yet. I won't let you die. No. I won't." Emma groans as she holds one arm as Jefferson clutches the other, "Lets go home…" She whispers into his ear. She halts at the portal, "Killian?"

"Yes, love?" He answers her. She turns his face towards her, "I love you." And before he could speak, she presses her lips onto his. Killian chuckles a laugh, "Oh, love, and I, you."

Jefferson rolls his eyes and nods to Emma. "Jump!"

A luminous flood of light encircles all three forms and hurled them back to the place of where they must and desire to be, and the gateway with it's swirling depth of purple, closes off the kingdom of the fairytales.

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**Does he live? Does he not live? I don't know. This is up to you, dear read. The next chapter is the same prompt, however, it is in Storybrooke!**

**Anyways, review, let me know how I did and if you enjoyed it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**PROMPT: A short but amazing one-shot of how Hook fell in love with Emma. From where it started till the very end where he's lying in a cell with her, his head in her lap, telling her just exactly why he fell in love with her in the first place. He's dying from something Cora did. AND SO! he just tells the story of how he fell in love, and end it with a wonderful HOPE that leaves everything up to the imagination of the reader !**

**Based in Storybrooke **

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_Everyone had survived. Mulan and Aurora had joined Mary-Margeret and Emma in Storybrooke until the curse, even though broken, had sent the rest of the kingdom back to their native land. However, an unplanned passenger had attached himself onto a lovely golden tresses heroine so he would not be left alone in the desiccated land._

"Hook!" the golden hair woman snaps, "Don't touch that!" Emma rages up to him seizing her mobile phone. "Emma, love," Killian seductively smirks, "what is this magical contraption that I touch and it changes?"

"It's called a cellphone" Emma checks it to see if any damage had been done.

"Pet, what is its purpose?" He watches, as Emma as she fiddles with the mysterious magical device, "Is it expensive?" He questions. Emma glimpses up at him, "Yes. It is expensive." She says as Hook begins to walk around, touching and turning random knobs, "It is a communication device. It lets you talk to those who are far away."

"Ah! It is like the mirrors!" Killian relates with an excited tone in his voice, "Those who had magical abilities, love, could communicate with other through enchanted mirrors." Emma stares at him for a moment, one eyebrow lifted, "Yeah…" she says unconcernedly, "kind of like that…hold on—how did you get into my flat?"

As Killian reaches the stovetop, "The door…", he says as he turns one of the knobs causing the machine to 'click'. Out of shock, he jumped, "Emma, love!" He shouts, "What kind of magical item is this?" Emma, bounces in surprise, "No! Killi—Hook!" Emma thumps her phone down onto the counter and rushes around to turn off the gas power stovetop, "It is an oven!" She shouts and turns off the burner, "It cooks food!"

Killian stares at the oven for a minute, pondering, "Then…where does the firewood go, love?"

Emma could not help herself; she had busted out giggling at his inquisition. Feigning offense, "You think that is humorous, love?" Killian growls, playfully. "No!" Emma chokes out a snicker, "I don't!" She cover up her mouth to smother the laughs. Killian glares down at the golden hair beauty and places his hand onto her hip, striding intimate to her small creamy colored form. "No Killian—I mean Hook!"

This slip did not go unnoted by Captain Killian Jones, who had taken the instant to push his body against hers. Emma gaps as the back of her body is pressed against the cold counter and blush spreads like scorching wild fire across her face in the closeness of the handsome man who is pressing against her. "Killian now, love? Mmm" He murmurs approvingly as he brings his face close to hers and chuckles softly, "I don't like being joked about, love" he whispers darkly.

"I-I-I…Hook…" Emma stutters out as Killian graze his nose against hers, his eyes glistening with amusement: Eskimo kisses. "Killian…" he interrupts her with a throaty hum, "call me Killian." His after the storm grey eyes bore deeply into her grey-blues. Emma licks her dry lips, agreeing slowly, her eyes never leaving his, "Killian…" she whispers back.

Smirking, "That's better, love" Killian says as he presses his pelvis into her. The soft-hot air of his breathing brush across Emma's face; Emma tips her head up, encouraging Killian. With no uncertainty, Killian greedily takes her encouragement and kisses her with a glowing, burning amorousness. Emma's fingers swiftly glide from their position at the edge of the counter to his thick dark coffee-colored hair, pulling gently as if to encourage Killian further.

Pleasingly shock as Emma bites down on his lip, tugging lightly before coming back to intensifying the kiss. Aroused by how receptive his love is being, out of craving, he picks up Emma onto the sleek cool counter.

A intense spasm rushes through Killian's body. He moans in pain and downfalls slowly onto the floor. "Killian!" Emma yells as she slides off the counter as he falls onto the floor, "Killian, what's wrong?" She places his head onto her lap as she mildly rakes her fingers onto his scalp. He guffaws easily, "Nothing, love."

"Oh," Emma huffs, "Don't you dare tell a lie to me." She glares half heartily at the man who she can't admit she loves. Killian squirms with anguish as the pain throbs through his body that emits from his abdominal. Emma sniffles softly as she glides his hand away to pick up his shirt to see what is tormenting him. "What happened, Killian" She asks as she stares at the puss-filed wound that stretchs across his stomach and up to his chest, black markings gradually moving farther up. "Love, if you wanted me to disrobe, all you had to do was request." Killian attempts to banter to decrease the heavy air that replaced the passion.

"Stop it…" Emma weeps softly as she stares at the wound, "What happened." Killian exhales, his face going hard, "Before I leaped into the portal after you, Cora had gotten to me first." He glances at Emma, "She stabbed me with a blade she had concealed, blasted lass." Emma tries to stop the teardrops from falling, "The dagger…it was poisoned." He shrugs.

"Why…" Emma hiccups, "Why didn't you tell anyone?" Her tears falling down her face, trickling onto Killian's face. "Oh, love." He sighs and wipes her tears, "It's poison. Nothing can save me."

"Oh you damn fool." Emma groans as she rises to go aid Killian up and off the floor, "You need to walk, I can't carry your weight all on my own. "Love, just lay back down." Killian begs. Emma, reluctantly does what he says, "Ah, that is a good lass." He mumbles and lays his head back into her lap.

"The moment you bested me, I knew you were meant for me." He chuckle as he starts to recall the memories they had shared, "You are so bloody brilliant, love. You saw right through me. No woman had ever bested me, not even Milah." He gaze up at her, smirking weakly. "Maybe" Emma whispers softly, "You just hadn't met the right woman yet."

He chuckles, "I met the right woman that day, love." He reaches up to touch her hair, "You were that woman, Emma, love."

"I can't be…" She stare at him astonished and frightened. "You are that woman. Love, the way you cared for that hideous bugger of a giant, you are my better half. I would have slaughtered the beast." Emma sniffed, "He wasn't a beast." She touches his face.

"And your love—your love for Henry. It had to be the strongest love I had seen since the curse had torn through the lands." He chuckles, "I had only hoped to become apart of that love."

Tears fall fast down Emma's face. "Let me go get help, please." Emma begs as she touches his pale, cold face that had once been healthy and tanned.

"I want to finish, love." Killian smiles softly and weakly as he touches her hand, "I know that you don't believe in true love. I know you have been hurt and that you are scared. You are such a strong lass." He smiles wider, "I wanted to show you that I will always be there that you would never have to be alone. I—" He sighs heavily, "Bloody hell, I never thought I would want this…" Killian looks at her intensely, "I want to be a father figure for Henry."

Emma stared at him, shocked as ever, never expecting a confession like this from a pirate captain. "I know" He coughs, "I am not precisely a good influence, but I wanted to be there for him…and for you."

"Oh…Killian," Emma wails, "I am so sorry." She hiccups as she rocks him back and forth, "I didn—"

"Love, don't say it." Killian begins to cough harder and longer, "I know how you feel. You are an open book. I don't need you to say it to know how you feel."

"Killian…I can't…" She places her head onto his forehead, "I can't lose you."

He does not answer her. "Killian, please." She cries, "Please." She sniffs as she starts down at the man she loves, "I love you, you can't leave, not yet." Her body racks with her sobbing. Gently, she places her quivering hand onto the pulse point on his neck. The pulse is too slow. He is going to die soon.

"No!" Emma screams as she moves to grab her cell phone. Quickly, she dials the emergency number for the hospital, screaming hysterically of whom she was and that the medics had to be at her flat, NOW.

Emma follows the trolley that pulls his love away towards the ER doors, she squeezes his hand, "WAIT." She yells to the nurses and doctors, who stop out of fear.

She bends over and leans down to whisper in his ear, "Come back to me…" She whispers. And to her shock, his hand squeezes her hand back.

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**And, with this one as well, tell me how it is and how you like it! Thanks shipmates! Also, if you want to suggest a prompt, you can send it in with a review, in a PM or through my ask box on Tumblr!**


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